The sidewalk leading up the hill to Queen of Angels Church in Riverside truly became the “way of the cross” on November 19.

Uniquely designed crosses constructed by parishes over the past 12 months in honor of the Jubilee Year of Mercy lined the walkway to the church as the faithful of the Diocese celebrated a Mass to mark the Year. It was one visual sign of the local impact of Pope Francis’ call to Mercy. As he processed toward the church, Bishop Gerald Barnes blessed the crosses and offered a prayer of thanks to God for the participation of the parishes of the Diocese in the Jubilee Year.

This simple phrase is found in one of the nomination letters that contributed to Coachella resident Sister Carol Nolan, a Sister of Providence (SP) of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, and 1954 graduate of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), receiving one of the College’s most prestigious alumni awards, the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Award.

Many of you are already familiar with the Get on the Bus program, as our Bishops, our parishes and the faithful have been generous supporters for many years now. Many children have been reunited and re-connected with their mother or father through these efforts.

Catholic Charities’ Hope in the City Family Resource/Homework Center in San Bernardino is a place where children and their parents find a supportive gathering of neighbors and friends. The Center provides a safe haven for children during the critical afterschool hours, when research shows that students have the least supervision.